Chapter 390: Lu Bu Fengxian (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 390: Lu Bu Fengxian (1)
The countless traps and guardians protecting the labyrinth had all been breached.
Before long, the news reached Lu Bu, the lord of the labyrinth.
"...They are faster than expected."
Inside an orb that resembled a Dragon Orb, scenes of Jinhyuk's battles were playing.
Of course, as a martial combat-type boss, he could only view fragmentary footage, but even that was more than enough to gauge the enemy's full strength.
"Is this the footage from when they just entered the labyrinth?" asked Sherry, the intermediate manager standing beside him.
"Yeah. A recording from exactly six days ago. We can respond by assuming they are roughly at this level."
"Fufu. What do you think? Does it look like enough to keep you entertained?"
"Well, he seems like a fairly capable fighter. The guy with him isn't someone who just picked up a sword yesterday, either."
It made sense why they had entered the labyrinth with so few people.
However,
that was all.
Sharp though they might seem, he had fought far stronger enemies countless times before.
Compared to the heroes of myth and the deities he had encountered again after coming to the Tower—including the Five Tiger Generals—they weren't enough to make his heart race.
Lu Bu slumped back into his tiger-skin throne with a nonchalant expression.
"Where are they?"
"According to the scout party, they have approached the immediate vicinity."
"Hmm. Then they'll reach the entrance soon."
"Yes. But at their level, they'll likely be stopped right at the gate. After all, those guarding the entrance right now are them."
The adjutant bowed his head.
Hearing this, Sherry wore a peculiar smile.
"It seems you are looking down far too much on the intruders, Labyrinth Lord. Why do you think I personally traveled all the way here?"
"And it seems you are looking down on my generals guarding the entrance of Xiaopei Castle."
Cheng Lian and Wei Yue.
They were the two generals under Lu Bu famous for being the most fierce and brutal. As long as those two were present, the enemy could never—
KABOOM!
"Aaargh!"
"Kehh!"
Amidst agonizing screams, the main gates of Xiaopei Castle shattered.
Emerging from the dust and smoke were Cheon Yu-seong, longsword drawn, and Jinhyuk, idly spinning a dagger on his finger.
"How...?"
Lu Bu's face twisted in shock.
Conversely, the smile on Sherry's lips widened even further.
"That's why I told you. You have to go all out against them."
* * *
"Whew. Talk about a noisy welcoming party, huh?"
"They were decent for doormen. They seemed pretty eager to introduce themselves, though—what were their names again?"
"Beats me. Something like Seong-ryong and Wi-yeom, I think..."
Jinhyuk and Cheon Yu-seong traded remarks as they stepped deeper into the labyrinth.
The final location of the labyrinth.
Xiaopei Castle.
Fitting for a place symbolizing Lu Bu's betrayal and rise to power, the heavy atmosphere at the entrance was suffocating.
"To think both generals were defeated..."
"Protect Grand General Lu Bu!"
"Never let them breach the square formation!"
Soldiers clad in red armor instantly surrounded the two with spears and shields.
Right then—
"Halt."
Lu Bu raised his hand.
As if on cue, the soldiers who looked ready to pounce instantly froze.
"Before we begin, I have one question for you."
"Ask away. As long as it's not too personal, I'll answer anything."
"What kind of trickery did you use? An ambush? Or is it due to some peculiar sorcery you outsiders possess?"
Cheng Lian and Wei Yue possessed skills that even most boss monsters hesitated to face.
In particular, the two generals' Combined Attack Formation was infamous even on the upper floors for its terrifying lethality.
Yet those two had been breached so effortlessly.
Considering the combat strength displayed when the intruders first entered the labyrinth, this was completely incomprehensible—unless they had relied on some underhanded, foul trick.
"A lot happened on our way here, you see. We did a bit of training in our own way."
"In just a few days...? You expect me to believe you grew that much stronger in a mere matter of days?"
A few days, huh...?
Well, he didn't know about what happened in the Imaginary Space, so it made sense he'd think that way.
"A few days is plenty of time for a lot of things to happen. And besides, I don't know what video you were watching to judge us, but we haven't even shown our true strength since the moment we entered this labyrinth."
"Spouting such lame excuses... It seems even you bastards are ashamed of relying on cowardly tricks."
Seriously, he really was muscle-brained to the core.
It was almost impressive how he managed to twist things like that.
"Yu-seong. That guy keeps insulting us. Are you just gonna stand there and take it?"
"He's insulting you, not us," Cheon Yu-seong drew the line instantly.
"However, setting that aside, I do have a desire to test myself against the powerhouses who defined an era."
Pzzzzzt!
Green waves surged along Ryuhwa.
His newly acquired sword, and his newly mastered swordsmanship.
How far would this carry him beyond the middle floors?
The burning curiosity was nearly impossible to suppress.
"If any of you wish to die first, step forward. Unlike the guy next to me, I don't hold back, so prepare yourselves."
Seeing Cheon Yu-seong step forward so confidently, Lu Bu's eyebrows furrowed sharply into a fierce V.
"Is there no valiant general among us who will take this arrogant fool's head?"
"Your humble servant, Hua Xiong, shall fell him in a single strike!"
"No, leave him to me, Zhang Liao!"
"Zang Ba is here as well!"
Renowned generals who had once dominated a myth stepped forward.
They were fierce warriors who had gathered after the arrival of the Tower of Trials, particularly after Lu Bu took the throne as Labyrinth Lord.
It's definitely not easy to see a lineup like this all in one place.
If someone were a fan of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, this scene would make their heart pound.
Well, assuming the heroes of their admiration weren't pointing spear tips directly at them.
I should lend a hand. No matter how much Yu-seong has improved, taking on all three alone will be too much.
Let's see... To make it somewhat entertaining to fight...
...Decided.
Jinhyuk immediately stepped in front of a giant general.
"...!?"
Grasping his long spear, Hua Xiong stared at Jinhyuk.
"Old man, come play with me instead. Aren't you embarrassed to gang up three-on-one like a bunch of cheaters?"
"Even if you don't rush to your death, our Grand General will deal with you personally. So wait quietly for your turn to die!"
"Ey, I know that, but I need someone to warm up with before the main event."
"Warm... up? Against me, Hua Xiong?!"
Hua Xiong, who was about to brush past him, froze dead in his tracks.
Veins bulged on his skin.
He was so enraged that the spear in his hand trembled violently.
"You're the quintessential power-scaler benchmark, aren't you, old man? I'll wrap this up before a cup of tea cools down, so come at me comfortably. Ah, maybe your thick beard is covering your ears so you can't hear me? In that case, I'll make the first move."
Jinhyuk beckoned with his finger.
"I will rip you apart! You wet-behind-the-ears brat!"
The provocation worked like a charm.
Hua Xiong veered around and charged headlong toward Jinhyuk.
WHOOSH!
A heavy roar of torn air echoed loudly.
Terrifying speed, completely belies his massive size.
Leaving behind afterimages, his spear thrust forward like a raging torrent.
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!
Yet, Jinhyuk dodged every single attack by a hair's breadth—as if silently declaring that he could read moves like this with his eyes closed.
"Kuh! Scurrying around like a rat...! Are you running like a coward because you're outmatched in power?!"
Hmm...
He still doesn't seem to get it.
"I'm not dodging because I lack power."
The moment the words left his mouth, ominous demonic magic erupted from Jinhyuk's body.
"It's just that if I finish this too quickly, my Sword Saint friend over there will slip back into his emo phase."
However, seeing Cheon Yu-seong effortlessly handle a 2-on-1 fight using Left-Handed Swordsmanship, it seemed there was no longer any need to worry about that.
There was no reason to drag this out any further.
Jinhyuk released his magic.
RUUUUUMBLE!
Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
Its depth was impossible to fathom.
Normally, maintaining this power without the Crown of Hegemony would be nearly impossible.
However, thanks to the Heavenly Demon's guidance, he had learned how to utilize the forms of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art with maximum efficiency.
And the result of that—
Falling Single Petal.
Was right here.
A single petal falling from the sky.
"Keuk!?"
Hua Xiong raised his spear to block.
Of course, a spear merely reinforced with ordinary martial energy didn't stand a chance.
CRACK!
Like a collapsing mountain, space itself shattered, and the spear Hua Xiong used to block bent like taffy.
Naturally, unable to withstand the shockwave, Hua Xiong was slammed brutally beneath his spear, collapsing onto the ground.
* * *
In an instant, a heavy silence settled over Xiaopei Castle.
Lu Bu's left-hand man—the strongest spear that had always brought home victory—had been crushed in a single move. Shock was the only natural reaction.
"So Cheng Lian and... Wei Yue's defeat was no fluke?"
The one most stunned was Lu Bu.
Until now, he had underestimated Jinhyuk's level by several tiers, but that assumption had just been completely shattered.
Furthermore, Cheon Yu-seong, who was holding off both Zang Ba and Zhang Liao, possessed skills far beyond expectations.
"...So this is what you meant when you said they were dangerous?"
"Yes. They have a track record of troubling the Tower's Administrators on multiple occasions. However... this exceeds even my own expectations."
Even Sherry, who had come specifically to deliver the warning, could not hide her tension.
She had prided herself on understanding Jinhyuk's threat level better than anyone.
Yet somehow, in just a few short days, he had become an even greater monster.
"Fine. It seems playtime is over."
Lu Bu rose from his throne.
"All units, initiate a war of attrition! Drain their stamina completely!"
No matter how strong an enemy was, there was no counter to relentless, overwhelming numbers.
From this moment on, he would clearly demonstrate why this labyrinth was famed for being impregnable.
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
As Lu Bu's order fell, soldiers fully clad in iron plate armor poured forth.
The Formation-Breaking Camp.
A heavy infantry unit composed purely of elites.
True to their moniker—the unit that guaranteed the breaching of any enemy position—their movements unfolded with mathematical precision.
Five-man squads.
Each small squad, structured as a five-man cell, maximized unit efficiency while simultaneously executing swift and nimble tactical maneuvers.
"Do not drop your guard! These are enemies who brought down General Hua Xiong!"
"Thrust!"
Spears lunged through the gaps between shields.
Rather than inflicting lethal wounds, these strikes clearly aimed to strip away mobility by targeting the arms, thighs, and ankles.
However—
"To think the mighty Lu Bu became so needlessly cautious after becoming a Labyrinth Lord, resorting to petty tricks like this. I came here expecting a much hotter-blooded Lu Bu."
Jinhyuk didn't dodge the attacks.
He didn't even need to.
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!
The Heavenly Demon Divine Art erupted.
"Aaaaagh!"
"Argh!"
Wherever the dark-red tempest swept, defensive square formations proved utterly useless.
Iron armor shattered, and spears and shields crumpled like cheap toys.
It was nothing short of overwhelming, absolute power.
Jinhyuk swept Barnard horizontally, unleashing a wave of sword force.
THWACK-THWACK-THWACK!
The rear forces that were somehow holding out were swept away in a single strike.
"G-General..."
"S-Spare us! Please!"
"He's a monster... That guy is a monster!"
Panicked soldiers scrambled backward.
Not a single soul could stand against a calamity akin to a natural disaster.
Drawing a blade here was no longer courage—it was sheer folly.
"Stop hiding in the back and come out yourself. Otherwise, all your men are going to get hurt."
Jinhyuk beckoned toward the far rear with his finger.